Jaya Bachchan was in the news again for her insistence that Raya Sabha members stop addressing her as 'Jaya Amitabh Bachchan '. Last year she sparked off a social media debate when she stated her preferences and reignited the buzz once again when she reminded presiding chairman Birendra Prasad Vaishya, "For so many years, you used to call me Jaya ji only. Anyway, it doesn't matter."
While this subject has gained traction over the past few days, it has been an ongoing debate for several decades, it seems. Long before she could address the matter in the Rajya Sabha , Jaya, made the bold decision to keep her maiden name ' Jaya Bhaduri ' even after she married Amitabh Bachchan in 1973.
At a time when it was customary for women to take their husband's surname after marriage, Amitabh won praise from his father-in-law for standing by his wife's choice to to retain her maiden name for her film career. Taroon Coomar Bhaduri , a renowned journalist and writer, in a 1989 article for The Illustrated Weekly of India, reflected on his son-in-law’s unwavering support for Jaya’s identity and career. He recalled an instance where someone, in an attempt to flatter Amitabh, suggested that Jaya should be credited as "Jaya Bachchan" instead of "Jaya Bhaduri" in films.
Big B, responded saying, "Of course, she is a Bachchan, but you should know that in the industry and professionally, she is more famous as Jaya Bhaduri."
With Amitabh's support, Jaya continued to use her maiden name in film credits.
Taroon praised Amitabh for his support, and for the way he stood up against rumours about their alleged inter-cast marriage . "I would like to know just one good reason why my wife or I would have been opposed to the Bhaduri-Bachchan alliance," he wrote, and shared his appreciation for Amitabh’s character. He further lauded the actor’s perseverance in the film industry, adding, “Initial failures did not deter him, and with a Teutonic doggedness, he pursued his career.”